Vehicle-wheel tire.



T. S. MCGEHEE.

VEHICLE WHEEL TIRE.

APPLICATION man 1AN.21.1917.

Patente@ han@ 2G, 1917.

NVENTOR WlTNx-:ssas 266g@ gw@ I @/JM MAA/ l BY @m Ww ATTORNEY mr wamsPersa: ca.. pnommwo A WASHING-mn. n. c

TOM S. McGrEI-IEE, OF LOCKNEY, TEXAS.

VEHICLE-WHEEL TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 26, 191 7..

Application filed January 27, 1917. Serial No. 144,895.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, TOM S. MCGEHEE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Loclrney, in the county of Floyd and State of Texas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-VVheel Tires, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates tires, the broad object in view being to providea substantially all metal or sheet steel tire to take the place of thepresent day pneumatic tire and which will embody the necessaryresiliency to absorb all necessary road shocks and vibrations, entirelyeliminating all the usual troubles such as punctures and blow-outs.

More specifically stated, the object of the invention is to produce atire composed mainly of spring steel and embodying the conjoint use ofan annular resilient supporting` member, an annular resilient treadmember, and tensioning means for increasing or diminishing the yieldingor spring properties of the supporting member, whereby the resiliencyand yielding properties of the complete tire may be regulated inaccordance with the load to be imposed thereon.

lith the above and other objects invew, the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereindescribed, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing Figure l is a cross section through theimproved tire.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section partly in elevation, of thesame.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the tensioning members orspreaders.

The tire contemplated in this invention comprises a resilient treadmember l, a resilient tread supporting member 2, and an annular seriesof tensioning members or spreaders 3 together with tensioning bolts 4 orthe equivalent thereof for adjusting the tensioning members 3.

The tread member l which is preferably endless or in the form of acomplete annulus, is greater than a semi-circle in cross section andVhas the marginal or edge portions thereof curved outwardly as shown at 5to provide rounded inner faces 6 adapted to ride against opposite sidesof the supporting member as shown in Fig. 1. The tread member 1 may bereinforced by a tread strip 6 of any desired thickness and to vehiclewheel of any suitable material, secured thereto in any approved manner.

e supporting .member 2 which is also preferably endless or in the formof a complete annulus comprises an arched base portion 7 in order toprovide clearance for the heads of the tensioning bolts hereinafterreferred to so that the heads of the bolts may be contained between thebase of the supportingV member 2 and the felly or fixed rim of a vehiclewheel. The opposite side portions of the supporting member 2 are curvedinwardly toward each other to embrace from the inner side the outwardlycurved portions of the tread member 1 and also to provide roundedbearing surfaces 8 against which the bearing surfaces 6 of the treadmember slide in a direction substantially radial to the center of thewheel at the top and bottom thereof. The marginal portions of the treadmember 2 are then curved in the reverse direction as shown at 9 so as toride against the inner' surfaces of the tread member l and are finallycurved abruptly inward as shown'at 10 so as not to injure the treadmember 1 as the members l and 2 move with a yielding action in relationto each other.

' Each of the tensioning or spreading members comprises outwardlydiver-ging portions 11 which bear against the inner surfaces of the sideportions of the supporting member 2 and have their extreme edges curvedabruptly inward as indicated at 12 to avoid scraping against thecorresponding inner surfaces of the supporting member 2. The portions 11of the tensioning member 3 are connected by a channeled or gutter-likeportion 13 in which are placed nuts 1i threaded upon the tensioningbolts 4 above referred to, the heads 15 of said bolts being arrangedbeneath the arched base portion 7 of the supporting member 2, all asclearly shown in the drawings.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will now be understood that the supporting memberresiliently supports the tread member and both of said members coperateto produce the necessary resiliency of the tire, the marginal port-ionsof the supporting member 2 coacting with the tread member, and themarginal portions of the tread mem ber coacting with the divergentportions of the supV orting member. By preference several bo ts el. willbe used in connection with .ILM

Cil

Vmetal resilient supporting member,

each spreading or tensioning member 3, and by tightening said bolts, themembers 3 act as Wedges to yieldably spread apart the side portions ofthe supporting memberV 2. In this Way the tire may be regulated toaccommodate different loads.

I claim 1. A vehicle Wheel tire, comprising a sheet and a tread memberpartially embracing said supporting member, the tread member having' itsmarginal portions curved in cross section so as to rideagainstcorrespondingly curved portions of the supporting member, and thesupporting member having its marginal portions curved in such manner asto ride against correspondingly curved portions of the tread member.

2. A vehicle Wheel tire, comprising a sheet metal resilient supportingmember, and' a tread member partially embracing said supporting member,the tread member having its marginal portions curved in cross section soas to ride against correspondingly curved portions of the supportingmember, the supporting member having its marginal portions curved insuch manner as to ride against correspondingly curved portions of thetread member, and means for tensioning the marginal portions of saidsupporting member.

3. A vehicle Wheel tire, comprising a sheet metal resilient supportingmember, and a tread member partially embracing said supporting member,the tread member having its marginal portions curved in cross sectionCopies of this patent may be obtained for member, said tensioning meanscomprising an annular series of spreading members hav-V ing divergentmarginal portions which bear against the inner surfaces of the marginalportions of the supporting member.

4. A vehicle Wheel tire, comprising a sheet metal resilient supportingmember, and a tread member partially embracing said supporting member,the tread member having its marginal portions curved in cross section soas to ride against correspondingly curved portions of the supportingmember, the sup porting member having its marginal portions curved insuch manner as to ride against correspondingly curved portions of thetread member, means for tensioning the marginal portions of saidsupporting member, said tensioning means comprising an annular series ofspreading members having divergent marginal portions which bear againstthe inner surfaces of the marginal portions of the supporting member,and

means for adjusting said spreading members so as to resist to a greateror less degree the resilient action of the marginal portions of thesupporting member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

TOM S. MGGEHEE.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, B. G.

